Anchorage Daily News

If UAA men's basketball coach Rusty Osborne could pinpoint two problems last season, offensive rebounding and low-post defense would top his list.

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Junior transfer Jeremiah "Kiwi" Trueman, a 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward from New Zealand, will join the Seawolves for this coming season.

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The Seawolves ranked near the bottom among nine teams in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in rebounding, and they regularly failed to get stops inside the paint.

But help appears to be on the way in the form of a Kiwi.

Junior transfer Jeremiah Trueman, a 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward from New Zealand who goes by the name "Kiwi," will join the Seawolves for this coming season, Osborne announced Tuesday.

"He's a tremendous fit for us," he said. "Jeremiah does all the things that help you win."

Trueman was a two-year starter at NAIA San Diego Christian, where he averaged modest career numbers (6.8 points and 5.0 rebounds) but enjoyed team success and earned a reputation as a tireless worker.

In each season, the Hawks advanced to the NAIA postseason tournament. Last season, San Diego Christian won its league and garnered a No. 7 national ranking.

"Everybody we talked to said he will be our hardest working player," Osborne said.

One of the coaches who vouched for Trueman was former Valley coach Chuck Martin, now at The Master's College, which plays in the same league as San Diego Christian.

The UAA coaching staff got a chance to evaluate Trueman in person during his recruiting visit in early May. They put him through a series of drills on the court.

"He can play inside and out offensively, plus he is a tremendous rebounder and defender," Osborne said. "He's not a shot blocker, but he's a hard worker and he plays position defense."

His biggest impact could be offensive rebounding. Last season Trueman led his team with 72 -- nearly one-third of UAA's total (233). The Seawolves ranked last in the GNAC last season with 8.3 offensive rebounds per game.

Trueman joins senior returners 6-foot-6 Carl Arts and 6-8 McCade Olsen to give UAA one of the biggest front lines in the GNAC.

"They all bring different skills and strengths to the floor, which gives us a lot of versatility," Osborne said. "We are very fortunate to get a player of Jeremiah's ability late in the recruiting process."

Fortunate -- and sort of lucky.

In a sense Trueman fell into the lap of the Seawolves. He left San Diego Christian after his coach Kelvin Starr resigned.

Starr, who is close friends with UAA associate head coach Shane Rinner, asked Rinner if the Seawolves needed any impact post players. Rinner jumped at the chance, especially since inconsistent junior Joe Davis left the program at the end of last season.

Some may call Trueman a lucky find, but Osborne credited it to Rinner's networking.

"It doesn't happen by accident," he said. "It's relationships, continually working the phone and talking to people you know in the business.

"Especially at this (Division II) level, that's the way it's gonna work."

Trueman becomes the fifth member of UAA's 2007-08 recruiting class, joining 6-3 senior transfer Chris Bryant of Drake by way of Metlakatla, 6-5 freshman swingman Phillip Hearn of Anchorage, 6-7 freshman forward Kyle Doerr of South Dakota and 6-6 freshman forward Colin Voreis of Ohio.

In addition, the Seawolves return redshirt players Lonnie Ridgeway and Doug Hardy of Anchorage.

"We feel real good where we're at with our squad," said Osborne, who has guided the Seawolves into the playoffs in two of his three seasons.

Daily News reporter Van Williams can be reached at vwilliams@adn.com or 257-4335.